Salida, CO to Gunnison, CO 8/25/15 to 9/1/15

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THE BASICS

We spent several days in Salida, exploring the area and sharing meals/visits with Susie and Brady. Finally drove over Monarch Pass and the Continental Divide, and stopped at a senior RV park in Gunnison. Spent today driving 55 miles south to Lake City and enjoying that area.

THE FLUFF

Salida was delightful. We took a few drives, in various directions, but have left lots more to see in future visits. I think I mentioned the great pizza meal we had with the kids the first night in Salida. We had another meal in town with Susie and Brady, in a restaurant on the river. It was a cool evening, but there were still kids splashing in the river. We had them, with dog Huck, come to our campsite for a meal, and they fixed a very nice meal for us at their house.

I had looked forward to browsing in the numerous fascinating shops in Salida - "junque," secondhand, art galleries, etc. etc. It happened to be National Dog Day, so I went into a dog store to buy something for Huck. The saleswomen had information about Huck on file, told me he was a hound and that hounds are treat-motivated, and that I should buy treats, not a toy. I obeyed. We spent the morning in town, but it was quite hot, so we went to the grocery store and then back to the campground. I had dreamed of just sitting by the riverside, and got to do that quite a bit during our stay. But when we got to the RV, I could not find the small purse I had been carrying. (John calls me an old lady when I wear a purse with the strap across my chest, so I just had it slung over one shoulder.) We cleared out the whole car, to no avail. Back we drove into town, and went to all the shops I had gone into. Nada. So we went to the police station and filed a report. The friendly lady there told us that we should go to the office of the local newspaper, because for some reason things often get brought there. So we filed a "lost" notice there. I felt a bit down for the rest of that day - it is not reassuring to be careless. The main thing I was missing was my small notebook where I keep notes on books that people recommend. (By the way, I could use some new suggestions. I am proud and amazed that I have passed page 500 of my small print 850 page copy of Middlemarch, but even that will eventually end.)

Next morning, we drove the 25 or so miles north to Buena Vista. It was our first really clear day, and I was sad that I missed getting a photo of a beautiful rainbow that was nestled among 14,000 footers to our west. We got some great suggestions at the Chamber of Commerce in BV. We drove north a short way along the Arkansas River, near an old railroad bed, and through a quick series of four tunnels. The railroads that were built out here to accommodate the mining boom were amazing engineering feats, and more numerous than we could have imagined. After that, of course, we needed a coffee and sweet at the Roastery. John checked the cell phone, and there had been a call from "unknown." We realized it could be good news, so returned the call. It was a woman in Salida who had my purse at her shop!!! The day before, a mail carrier had found it on the sidewalk and taken it into the nearest shop, one I had not actually gone into. At the end of the day, after she had spent the afternoon fending off customers who wanted to buy the cute purse hanging behind the counter, she phoned the police department, and was given our number! I tell this long story because it is a reminder of how great it can be to live in a small, considerate town.

From Buena Vista, we drove southwesterly to the ghost mining town of St. Elmo. It was a pretty long drive, half along a washboardy dirt road, and I was driving, and I bounced once too often - we lost a wheel cover, and we never found that item. We seemed to be so far from anything, when we were passed by a UPS truck! People live everywhere out here, it seems. The mining town had had a population of 2000 in its heyday. Now it is a National Historic District, supported by a committee of many avid volunteers. Leaving the town, we stopped along Chalk Creek to eat our sandwiches.

Another day, we drove south on route 50 toward Canon City, but didn't go nearly that far. We went as far as Cotopaxi, where Brady turns off to drive to Westcliffe to educate his middle schoolers and coach the football team. Then we just found a spot to relax and eat our sandwiches by the river. Back at our campsite, we enjoyed chatting with our neighbors. So many people here are escaping from the Texas summer! And another nice couple, from Kansas, have spent July and August here for the last 16 years. I had a small reminder that we were at a high altitude; I had been unable to find the "regular" rice I wanted at the market. I infer that you have to use "quick" or "instant" out here if you want it to be ready the same day...

We have been lucky to experience a full moon week. The moon over the river looked immense at times.

We were chided for not going to the farmer's market in town on Saturday. It is apparently very special. But we were in a different mood. We took a little hike on a trail near the RV park. Fairly wide and level, with pretty wildflowers. We were only a bit on edge, since other hikers told us to watch for the young rattlesnake sunning on the trail. John hates snakes. I wanted to drive up to the Monarch Ski Area, "only 20 minutes away," to get an idea of the challenge it would be for the RV. It actually wasn't much more than half an hour. The roads are wonderful! They do go up and down, but gradually. And they are wide. I saw a mountain goat! (my wildlife count remains meager)

It was hard to say goodbye to Susie and Brady. They are such a fine pair. But we hope to drive up to see them in February or March, when we are back out here in the Southwest. And meanwhile, they are so busy, moving in a couple of weeks into the house they have bought, as well as everything else they have going on.

I didn't really get my fill of sitting by that river, but I did get a good dose. When we finally left Salida, I drove the car over Monarch Mountain, to strain the RV (and me) a bit less. It was spectacularly beautiful at the top. Clear as a bell in every direction, with nothing but awesome mountains in view. And as we started down, we were aware that the water was now flowing toward the Pacific. We arrived in Gunnison, and the Visitor Center recommended this Senior RV Park because it is convenient to town and quite nice. So we settled in. We drove into town to walk on the main streets, but that didn't wear out much shoe leather. Western Colorado State University is here, and as per our usual, we enjoyed driving around the campus. I am struck by how positive the local newspaper is about this town, with several interviews with locals about why they like living here, and all sorts of good vibes. Interesting that Gunnison rather often has the coldest temperatures in the Lower 48, while fewer than 100 miles away, over Monarch, Salida is considered to be in the "Banana Belt."

Our RV neighbors are full-timers. It is always interesting to hear about life style and adventures from full-timers.

Our ride to Lake City surprised me with its beauty and variety. Miles and miles were rolling, sagebrush-covered hills. Then, higher, lots of evergreens on rolling mountains. There were several large homes visible from the highway; this is a great place for second homes. Eventually, we paralleled the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, which flows north into the Colorado River. Lake City has quite a few Victorian homes dating back to the time it boomed, in the 1870's. The downtown is charmingly preserved, with old storefronts and quite classy shops. The young woman at the Visitor Center told us that her husband had grown up in Lake City and school was in Gunnison (at least 55 miles away). The bus picked him up at 5:30 A.M. and delivered him home, after sports, at 10:00 P.M. Wow.

The most notorious character from the area was Alferd Packer, who was convicted of cannibalism when the five men he was leading disappeared and he reappeared. Quite a story. I'm still glad we did not choose to eat at the Cannibal Grill... There is an excellent museum in town, which fires the imagination not only about Packer, but about the life that thrived here for a period. We drove south of town to San Cristobal Lake, the second largest natural lake in Colorado, for our picnic. We didn't dawdle, because we were the only people in the picnic area, and there were several signs about the bears in the area. Driving back to Gunnison, we continued to be delighted by the huge sky, with different shapes of clouds in every direction, rain here and there, bright sun, etc. etc.

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